Another Image of Cliffy B’s Mysterious Next Game

Chainsaw carnage incarnate Cliff Bleszinski is a one-man marketing team. Starting this August, the mastermind behind Gears of War‘s gore-spewing success kicked off a social media charge aimed at raising awareness for his latest project. The mystery IP – possibly codenamed ‘Silverstreak‘ – first appeared on our radars at the top of the month, with ‘Dude Huge’ himself releasing a hastily cropped concept art image as proof of the title’s existence.

Set in a military-guarded desert location, the initial image appeared to hint at a Half-Life-style vehicle/shooter hybrid. Bleszinski followed up that teaser with a second, partially obscured clue some days later, this time showcasing a futuristic basketball-like variant. With the game’s action occurring just off-screen, viewers are instead treated to an array of 10ft bionic benchwarmers. From piston-like legs, to powerful hidden jetpacks, the players’ augmented appendages appeared to confirm the title as a straight up sci-fi experience.

In keeping with the game’s recent run of seemingly unrelated artwork (desert shooter to android sporting sim?) today’s latest teaser showcases a third unexplained environment. Depicting an average-looking city in the midst of an almighty lightening storm, there appears to be very little of speculative value within the image. Dig a little deeper however, and the scene begins to take on an instantly familiar appearance. Those apparent protest placards jutting into the bottom of the frame? – perhaps the Y & W in L.A’s famous Hollywood sign.

When interpreted as minor elements of a more coherent whole, it becomes a lot easier to see how these three screens might relate. Cliffy’s latest game may choose to focus on just about anything, or belong to any genre, but the world in which is will take place is becoming increasingly solid and interesting.

It’s important to remember that like all concept art, these pieces are intended to be conceptual, allowing designers to make a bold statement about a prospective character or world. Whilst some sketches deal with and expand upon a game’s central themes, many more are concerned with legitimizing a setting in the minds of a creative team, lending it a sense of coherency and togetherness. Could the sporting titans of screen #2 suggest the arrival of a robo-basketball title, or its inclusion as part of a mini-game offering? Certainly, though the artwork could just as easily be intended to portray the world’s advanced state of technology; it’s simultaneous proximity to and distinction from our own environment, or any other number of possibilities.

What do you think Cliffy B’s comeback title is all about? Is this an open-world take on L.A? Another bullet sponge shooter? Extreme robo-basketball? Let us know in the comments below.